1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching device capable of opening and shutting in two directions a lid on an automobile console box or any other lid (inclusive of a door) rotatably disposed on an opening of a box body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A device for opening and shutting the lid of an automobile console box in two directions has been already disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 60-90042.
The conventional switching device, though not illustrated herein specifically, comprises supporting shafts of a circular cross section disposed integrally along each of the opposite sides of the periphery of an opening of a box body, and bearing parts of a C-shaped cross section suitable for detachable insertion therein of the supporting shafts to thereby enable the lid to shut the opening of the box body by having the bearing parts rotatably inserted around the corresponding supporting shafts. The release of the lid from the opening of the box body is attained by removing one of the bearing parts from the corresponding supporting shaft and rotating the lid about the other supporting shaft as a fulcrum or inversely by removing the other bearing part from the corresponding supporting shaft and, this time, rotating the lid about the other supporting shaft as a fulcrum. Owing to this construction, the opening of a box body can be exposed in two directions.
The conventional switching device allows the box body to be opened and shut selectively in two directions to suit the occasion and, therefore, offers very convenient use as compared with the classic switching device which allows the lid to be opened and shut only in one direction.
The conventional switching device described above indeed has the advantage of enabling the box body to be opened and shut in two directions simply by adopting an extremely simple construction having supporting shafts of a circular cross section disposed on the box body side and bearing parts of a C-shaped cross section disposed on the lid side. In the actual use of this switching device, however, the simplified construction ironically produces an evil effect entailing the following problem.
In the conventional switching device, the bearing part on the side of the lid used for producing an opening or shutting motion must be forcibly inserted around the supporting shaft or conversely must be forcibly released therefrom, and the bearing part on the side of the lid used as the fulcrum for rotation must be immoderately rotated on the supporting shaft. Therefore, it has a serious problem that when the opening and shutting motions are frequently repeated, the C-shaped cross sections of the bearing parts are radially expanded or deformed and eventually prevented from allowing smooth opening and shutting motions or infallibly producing a perfectly open or shut state.